Schapelle Corby is, like, just so last season. The new star of the revamped reality show So You Think You Can Be a Drug Mule is Cassandra Sainsbury, 22, and the ratings promise to peak as high as they did in 2005.
The venue has shifted from Bali to Bogota, the earphones have replaced the boogie board bag, but the script essentially remains the same: developing country with big drug problem, pretty and innocent young thing on holiday, and claims of her being set up by corrupt officials. Oh and the unfortunate damsel, as with her predecessor, has a loud and opinionated sister. Not quite as annoying as Mercedes Corby, but she has potential.
“Our hearts break”, wrote Khala Sainsbury in a her FundRazr appeal, “because we know she is innocent, but stands little chance of proving it in such a corrupt country.” Not the wisest choice of words given the allegations against Cassandra Sainsbury are damning. She herself does not dispute she purchased 18 earphones later found to contain cocaine. Wild and seemingly unfounded accusations against Colombian officials can hardly do her any good. If anything, they will simply confirm that the stereotypical Australian neatly encapsulates the arrogant gringo. And what is it with this phenomenon of rushing to appeal for public funds to reward someone for an act which is, at the very least, one of abject stupidity?
That said, Sainsbury is entitled to a presumption of innocence, and trial by social media is a poor substitute for the court process. It’s disconcerting that some of these pundits who are so quick to find Sainsbury guilty could, theoretically, sit on a real jury one day. But conducting a defence by social media attracts similar dangers, as was apparent with Khala Sainsbury’s assertion that “Cassie is also a volunteer of the CFS.” Quick to respond, the SA Country Fire Service advised that she had not volunteered since July 2014, and requested politely but firmly that all CFA material on the appeal website be removed. As any criminal lawyer can tell you, favourable character evidence invites both intense scrutiny and brutal rebuttal.
Accusers and advocates alike will speculate furiously on social media, which only reinforces the need for objective reporting by the mainstream media. However, as with the coverage of the Corby trial, the risks of compromise are apparent. “We understand the police might have had their sights on Cassie all along,” announced Waleed Aly on The Project. Seriously, “Cassie”? Why the familiarity and the girl next door image? Is this the beginning of drug mule makeover? And this from correspondent Ashlee Mullany: “Seven News has learned that Cassandra’s arrest was part of a major international operation”. A major operation? Some perspective: according to Reuters, Colombian authorities seized 378 tons — yes, tons — of cocaine in 2016. In terms of size, the 5.8kg seizure that was the subject of Sainsbury’s arrest is our equivalent of getting busted for a joint.
Could this affair turn into the circus that the coverage of Schapelle Corby became? Hopefully it doesn’t, but that saga was an example of just how malleable and excitable some Australians can be. Many were convinced, despite firm evidence to the contrary, that Corby was a patsy for corrupt Indonesian officials and complicit baggage handlers. Things became so ridiculous that Russell Crowe, perhaps in an attempt to demonstrate the credible theory that actors should stick to acting, declared in the month before the guilty verdict that the case against Corby was “bullshit”. “The first thing I thought this morning was, like, how can I get Johnny Howard on the phone and say, ‘Look, what are you gonna do mate? What are you gonna do? What if it was your daughter?’”
As cringe-worthy as those reminders are, they’re something to reflect upon as this case proceeds, for the benefit of both Cassandra Sainsbury and our international reputation. The appalling spectacle of Corby’s mother and sister abusing the judges when the verdict was handed down will long be remembered by many Indonesians, most of whom kept a dignified silence. Whether the Colombians would be as indulgent is another matter.
Fortunately, the Sainsbury family seems to have listened to advice from their Australian lawyer and is now refusing to make further comment. That’s probably the best thing they can do for their relative, who likewise has to be seen to respect the Colombian justice system. As the old saying goes: “If you’re up to your ears (or earphones) in shit, keep your mouth shut.” Indeed.
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